Useful of tomography with a compensating filter and computed tomography after pneumomediastinography

Author attempted tomography with a compensating filter and computed tomography (CT) after pneumomediastinography (PMG) to assess mediastinum-related lesions. Author found the results as follows. 1. The tomography with a compensatonf filter after PMG was especially useful for evaluating the left paratracheal, tracheobronchial lymphnodes swelling. 2. On the lateral tomogram after PMG, thymus and pretracheal, retrotracheal stripe were well demonstrated. 3. Comparative studies with plain and/or enhanced CT and CT after PMG were made on the invasions and/or adhesions to the neighboring structures. On the plain and/or enhanced CT, we could diagnose with 61% sensitivity ,100% specificity, and 74% accuracy. On the other hand, we could diagnose with 80% sensitivity, 100% soecificity, and 90% accuracy on the CT after PMG. Therefore, this method proved to be vary useful for diagnosing the mediastinal invasions and/or adhesions. 4. Visualization of the pleura by this method is useful to diggerentiatepulmonay lesions from mediastional lesions. These results suggest that this method would be considered to be advantageous and advisable in evaluating mediastinum-related lesions.